1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a construction and a method for mounting a connector in an apparatus or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
An automatic transmission has a case with a lid that is formed with a connection hole. A body of a solenoid valve is mounted on the lower surface of the lid. U.S. Pat. No. 6,702,593 discloses an intermediate connector that is mounted vertically to the solenoid valve body. More particularly, a fastenable portion projects horizontally from a bottom portion of the intermediate connector and can contact the bottom surface of the solenoid valve body. An insertion hole for a bolt vertically penetrates the fastenable portion, and a seal ring is mounted at an upper end of the intermediate connector. The bolt is inserted through the insertion hole from below and is screwed into a bolt hole in the bottom surface of the valve body to fasten the intermediate connector to the valve body while the fastenable portion of the intermediate connector is placed on the bottom surface of the valve body. The upper end of the intermediate connector is fit hermetically into the connection hole of the lid. Finally, the valve body is fixed to the lower surface of the lid using another bolt or the like.
The upper end of the above-described intermediate connector cannot be fit concentrically into the connection hole unless the connection hole of the lid of the transmission case and the bolt insertion hole of the valve body are spaced apart by a proper specified distance.
The connecting hole and the bolt hole could be misaligned due to an accumulation of manufacturing dimensional tolerances of the connector, the lid of the transmission case and the valve body, as well mounting tolerances of the lid and the valve body and other tolerances. Further, the connector is likely to deform if the connector is elongated. Thus, there is also a possibility of a large deviation of the position of the insertion hole from an axis line. In this situation, the upper end of the connector may be fit into the connection hole while the axis line of the connector is deviated, and stresses may act on the connector or sealing may be impaired to cause leakage.
The invention was developed in view of the above problem, and an object thereof is to provide a mounting construction and a mounting method enabling a connector to be fitted into a mating fitting hole in a natural state.